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Beroun (; german: Beraun) is a town in the
Central Bohemian Region The Central Bohemian Region ( cz, Středočeský kraj, german: Mittelböhmische Region) is an administrative unit ( cz, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in ...
of the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It lies at the confluence of the
Berounka The Berounka is a river in the Czech Republic, long, the biggest left tributary of Vltava, draining an area of . It carries the name Mže () for from its source in Germany, next to the Czech border, until its confluence with the Radbuza in Plze ...
and
Litavka Litavka is a river in the Czech Republic, the right tributary of the Berounka. It originates in the Brdy mountain range at the elevation of 736 m and flows to Beroun, where it enters the Berounka. It is 54.9 km long, and its basin area is 62 ...
rivers. Beroun creates a conurbation with
Králův Dvůr Králův Dvůr (; german: Königshof) is a town in Beroun District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 10,000 inhabitants. Králův Dvůr creates a conurbation with Beroun. Administrative parts Villages of Karlova H ...
, former part of Beroun. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.


Administrative parts

Beroun is made up of seven town parts: Beroun-Centrum, Beroun-Hostim, Beroun-Jarov, Beroun-Město, Beroun-Zavadilka, Beroun-Závodí and Beroun-Zdejcina.


Geography

Beroun is located about southwest of
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
. The town is a part of the Prague metropolitan area. Beroun lies at the confluence of the
Berounka The Berounka is a river in the Czech Republic, long, the biggest left tributary of Vltava, draining an area of . It carries the name Mže () for from its source in Germany, next to the Czech border, until its confluence with the Radbuza in Plze ...
and
Litavka Litavka is a river in the Czech Republic, the right tributary of the Berounka. It originates in the Brdy mountain range at the elevation of 736 m and flows to Beroun, where it enters the Berounka. It is 54.9 km long, and its basin area is 62 ...
rivers, in the valley of the rivers. The surrounding landscape is hilly. The southern part of the municipal territory, including the built-up area, lies in the
Hořovice Uplands Hořovice (; german: Horschowitz, Horvitz, Horowitz) is a town in Beroun District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,900 inhabitants. Administrative parts Hořovice is made up of only one administrative part. His ...
. The northern part lies in the
Křivoklát Highlands Křivoklát (german: Pürglitz) is a market town in Rakovník District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants. It is known for the Křivoklát Castle. Administrative parts Villages of Častonice and Pí ...
. The highest point is the Děd hill at above sea level. The lowest point is the
Berounka The Berounka is a river in the Czech Republic, long, the biggest left tributary of Vltava, draining an area of . It carries the name Mže () for from its source in Germany, next to the Czech border, until its confluence with the Radbuza in Plze ...
river, at .


History

A settlement ''Na Brodě'' ("By the Ford"), predecessor of Beroun, was first mentioned in a 1088 deed. The first written mention of Beroun (under its Latin name Verona) is from 1265 in a deed of
Ottokar II of Bohemia Ottokar II ( cs, Přemysl Otakar II.; , in Městec Králové, Bohemia – 26 August 1278, in Dürnkrut, Lower Austria), the Iron and Golden King, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who reigned as King of Bohemia from 1253 until his dea ...
. Ottokar II designated a strategically important place for the establishment of a settlement, from which the town of Beroun originated, that formed the shortest and easiest connection between Prague and Plzeň. In 1295, Duke
Wenceslaus II Wenceslaus II Přemyslid ( cs, Václav II.; pl, Wacław II Czeski; 27 SeptemberK. Charvátová, ''Václav II. Král český a polský'', Prague 2007, p. 18. 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–1 ...
decided to re-settle and expand the town. At this time, the historic core of Beroun was created, which has been roughly preserved to this day. A Dominican convent was also founded. In 1303, Wenceslaus II made Beroun a royal town. During the reign of Emperor Charles IV, the town prospered and rapidly developed. In 1421,
Hussite The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Huss ...
forces under the command of
Jan Žižka Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha ( en, John Zizka of Trocnov and the Chalice; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a Czech general – a contemporary and follower of Jan Hus and a Radical Hussite who led the Taborites. Žižka was a successful milit ...
stormed the town and demolished the Dominican convent, and though it was retaken and devastated after the
Battle of Lipany The Battle of Lipany (in Czech: ''Bitva u Lipan''), also called the Battle of Český Brod, was fought at Lipany 40 km east of Prague on 30 May 1434 and virtually ended the Hussite Wars. An army of Moderate Hussite (or Calixtine) nobility ...
, it has remained a mainly
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...
settled town since then. During the reign of King Vladislaus II (1471–1516), Beroun reached its greatest prosperity. Under the rule of the
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
from 1526, the town's estates were seized. During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
it was sacked in turn by the
Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...
army, Saxon forces, and
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
forces. In the
First Silesian War The First Silesian War (german: Erster Schlesischer Krieg, links=no) was a war between Prussia and Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria. T ...
the same fate befell it at the hands of French and Bavarian troops. In the 18th century, Beroun became a garrison town and did not prosper again until the 1860s, with the opening of
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
quarries and iron ore mines. Beside several ironworks, Beroun became the site of
textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
manufacturing, and the population increased. Beroun was significantly transformed during communist rule.
Heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
was expanded, and central government policy set quotas for new flats. As Beroun is situated between two rivers in a deep valley without suitable building plots, quotas were met by demolishing historical medieval buildings and erecting prefabricated high-rise buildings. The town look was changed again in the 1980s when the D5 highway was opened, running on the bridge above the town.
Králův Dvůr Králův Dvůr (; german: Königshof) is a town in Beroun District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 10,000 inhabitants. Králův Dvůr creates a conurbation with Beroun. Administrative parts Villages of Karlova H ...
, together with multiple municipalities, was joined to Beroun in 1980. In 1990, Králův Dvůr and Trubín became separate municipalities. Since the fall of communism, the town has been revitalised. Medieval buildings have been reconstructed, and town walls have been conserved. Heavy industry left the town, significantly raising the quality of living. In the 21st century, Beroun has become a popular place to live with high population growth and with an above-average quality of environment and health care.


Demographics


Transport

Beroun is connected via D5 motorway with Prague and German Bundesautobahn 6 to
Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
, part of the
European route E50 European route E 50 is an A-type east–west connection across the European continent. It connects the key naval port of Brest France with Makhachkala, on the Caspian Sea in the Russian republic Dagestan. Outlook Half the route is on h ...
. 3rd Railway Corridor leads through the town.


Culture

The Talich's Beroun international music festival has been held annually in Beroun since 1983. It is named in honor of violinist
Václav Talich Václav Talich (; 28 May 1883, Kroměříž – 16 March 1961, Beroun) was a Czech violinist and later a musical pedagogue. He is remembered today as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, the object of countless reissues of his ...
, who lived and died in the town.


Sport

The town is represented by the ice hockey club
HC Berounští Medvědi HC Berounští Medvědi is an ice hockey team in Beroun, Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany ...
. The formerly 1st league club now plays in lower tiers. There is also the
ball hockey Ball hockey is a team sport and an off-ice variant of the sport of ice hockey. The sport is also a variant of one of several floor hockey game codes but more specifically a variant of street hockey. Ball hockey is patterned after and closely r ...
club SK Kelti 2008. The football clubs in the town are Český Lev Union Beroun and SK Cembrit Beroun-Závodí, both playing in lower amateur tiers. The sports club TJ Lokomotiva Beroun is dedicated to swimming, rowing, athletics and other.


Sights

Husovo Square and its surrounding are the historic centre of Beroun. The square contains many valuable and well preserved houses. The town hall is a Renaissance building from 1560–1564. The Church of Saint James the Great is as old as the town. It is one of the most valuable building in the town and a national cultural heritage. The Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary was built in 1525, after a new cemetery was established during the great plague. The Beroun walls are an exceptional monument of a medieval fortification in Bohemia. They were built during the reign of Wenceslaus II. They surrounded the town with a total length of . Plzeňská Gate (also known as "Upper Gate") and Pražská Gate ("Lower Gate") were the most significant parts of town fortifications. Until 1842, the road from Plzeň to Prague passed through the gates. In 1724, the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows was built.


Notable people

*
Josef Jungmann Josef Jungmann (16 July 1773 in Hudlice, near Beroun – 14 November 1847 in Prague) was a Czech poet and linguist, and a leading figure of the Czech National Revival. Together with Josef Dobrovský, he is considered to be a creator of the mod ...
(1773–1847), poet and linguist; studied here * Karel Šimůnek (1869–1942), painter and illustrator *
Václav Talich Václav Talich (; 28 May 1883, Kroměříž – 16 March 1961, Beroun) was a Czech violinist and later a musical pedagogue. He is remembered today as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, the object of countless reissues of his ...
(1883–1961), conductor; lived and died here * Jiří Jeníček (1895–1963), photographer and filmmaker * Dolly Perutz (1908–1979), American sculptor and graphic artist * Ludmila Vachtová (1933–2020), art historian, critic and curator * Josef Jandač (born 1968), ice hockey player and coach *
Leoš Mareš Leoš Mareš (born 27 April 1976) is a Czech television and radio presenter and singer. He has hosted a number of singer search television programmes, including '' Česko hledá SuperStar'', ''X Factor'' and ''Hlas Česko Slovenska''. He joined ...
(born 1976), TV and radio presenter and singer * Martin Růžička (born 1985), ice hockey player *
Tomáš Macháč Tomáš Macháč (; born 13 October 2000) is a Czech professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles ranking of world No. 97 on 12 December 2022 and doubles ranking of world No. 427 on 1 Au ...
(born 2000), tennis player


Twin towns – sister cities

Beroun is twinned with: *
Brzeg Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on t ...
, Poland *
Goslar Goslar (; Eastphalian: ''Goslär'') is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines ...
, Germany


See also

* Beroun, Minnesota, an unincorporated community founded by immigrants from Beroun


References


External links

* {{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in the Beroun District